Part of maintaining a healthy mouth, teeth and gums, is firstly brushing, flossing and using mouthwash. These are non-negotiables, but there are so many things that people do that definitely aren’t helping their teeth, some are perhaps not even realising it. So here are some dental habits that you may or may not do that need to stop now!

Teeth are teeth

Everyone has their struggles with packaging, whether it be food or something else, using your teeth as pair of scissors is not advisable. Attempting to use your teeth as a tool (other than eating) is a definite no no. Hard surfaces can really damage your teeth, so take the extra few seconds to find a pair of scissors or appropriate tool and your teeth will always be happy.

Too much juice

Juice is not a bad thing and has many health benefits, and everyone should enjoy it in moderation. The key here is moderation, especially because it can tend to be acidic (this depends a lot on the type or types of fruit used) and sugary. This can cause the buildup of plaque, acids and bacteria in the mouth, as well as damaging the enamel of your teeth due to the acidity of the juice.

Ice

Everybody enjoys a bit of ice in their drink on a warm day and why not, it is refreshing and makes any drink taste better. The only problem is when you finish the drink and want to chew on the ice, this is really something that you should avoid, particularly as it can damage your teeth. It is best just to let it melt when your drink is finished!

Grinding

Grinding your teeth is another bad habit that very few people actually realise that they are doing at all. There are many causes of it, the number on being stress, and it is important not to do it because it can cause damage to your teeth, like cracking or chipping. Keeping your stress levels to a minimum and managing stress properly are great ways to prevent teeth grinding.

Sometimes it is very hard to detect, especially for those that do it when they sleep. The best way to keep an eye on this is to monitor how you feel after you sleep, for example you make wake up with sore teeth or a headache and these are usually signs that you are grinding your teeth in your sleep.

About the Dentist

Tewkesbury Dental is a  general and cosmetic dentist in Tewkesbury.

 

11 Barton Street, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PP

(+44) 01684 295900